Selection Bias in Choice of Words: Evaluations of "I" and "We" Differ Between Contexts, but "They" Are Always Worse. (January 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gustafsson Sendén, Marie; Lindholm, Torun; Sikström, Sverker
• Is Part Of: Journal of language and social psychology. Volume 33:Number 1(2014:Mar.)
• Page Start: 49
• Page End: 67
• Publication Date: 2014-01
• Subjects: pronouns in social categorization -- evaluative sentence generating task -- linguistic bias -- intergroup attitudes -- intergroup bias; Sociolinguistics -- Periodicals; Psycholinguistics -- Periodicals; 401.905
• DOI: 10.1177/0261927X13495856
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0261-927X

Abstract

In everyday life, people use language to communicate evaluative messages about social categories. A selection bias in language across two social dimensions not previously integrated was examined: a self-inclusive/self-exclusive dimension and an individual/collective dimension. Pronouns as markers for social categories were adopted ( I, We, He/She, and They ), and a new measure was developed (the Evaluative Sentence Generating task) to investigate the evaluative context selected for the pronouns. Results demonstrate that individuals select a more positive context for self-inclusive than self-exclusive pronouns and a more positive context for individual than collective pronouns. However, in an interpersonal context, evaluative differences between I and We diminished, whereas in an intergroup condition the evaluative gap between self-inclusive and self-exclusive pronouns was magnified.